


We Must Protect Them

by ghostingsoviet



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: 9 percent angst, 90 percent fluff, Deal With It, M/M, Okay this is super self indulgent, and 1 percent dirty jokes, it's like, so sorta just
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-19 10:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16532510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostingsoviet/pseuds/ghostingsoviet
Summary: When Eddie Brock and his symbiote partner, Venom, leave San Francisco, they go back to New York. Unknown to them, a teenage boy had found a symbiote far sooner than them, and currently prowls the street at night with a symbiote whose name is unknown, but calls themselves "Davek." When the two encounter the symbiote and the host who have been draining the streets of criminals, what will they do? Protect, or attack?





	1. The Hunter

He was run out of New York - was. Of course, that was far before Anne left, he found the symbiote known as _Venom_ , and tried moving back to work on articles that he was assigned. It was difficult, adjusting to the new schedule, and even more difficult for them to eat at a proper rate. Whenever something new showed up, whoever was doing it was already desiccated, body parts thrown around in what they assumed was a blind rage.

They didn’t exactly like this, especially upon closer inspection, seeing marks from teeth that had bit into the bone, and tore chunks from the bodies indiscriminately. Eddie knew why they were concerned, seeing as these weren’t teeth from any sort of animal that would roam the area commonly, or even at all. The chunks that were bitten out were ones similar to a shark’s bite. They couldn’t be, though. They were on dry land, so there was no way that it could be a shark unless sharks grew legs and could wander around on dry land without being seen.

Now, Eddie wandered the streets, not having anything to do, as the articles he had to do were indeed done for the day. So, currently he was sneaking chocolate into the mouth that hid, waiting in his sleeve, simply to curb the symbiote’s appetite. This was common practice at this point, and it made his other half happy. The symbiote was making fairly disgusting, yet content, noises in his head, and Eddie simply rolled his eyes.

“Do you really have to do that?” he mumbled, glancing around for a moment. It had been a while since the two met, but it was still strange to speak aloud to the symbiote.

Eddie could feel as Venom faded, absorbing back into the skin as they hissed a soft, “ **_Yes, Eddie._ ** _”_ There was snark in the tone, and the man paused for only a moment, but didn’t answer. _“_ **_It is hilarious when you are frustrated._ ** _”_

Huffing, he hid a small smile. “Glad you think so.”

They continued along in silence, simply enjoying the cool air that surrounded them. The day was nice, yet deceptively sunny. It seemed as though it’d be a balmy day, but when they started outside, the cold that was leftover from the night bit at their ears and nose. For only a moment, Eddie closed his eyes, letting out a light, content breath. However, the moment of peace soon disappeared, as it felt as though he was punched in the gut, and Venom recoiled beneath the his skin, causing him to tense up.

Eyes snapping open, Eddie looked around frantically, before his gaze settled on a teenager as he rushed away from them. The hoodie that the kid wore seemed to shift more than it should, rippling across his shoulders and back. Eddie’s stomach twisted, quickly understanding his partner’s unease. The kid ducked into an alley, the ‘hoodie’ forming tighter to his body.

 _“ **Follow, Eddie! They will get away if you do not!** ” _Venom’s tone was frantic, and that spurred Eddie into action as he turned, beginning to race after the kid. Skidding on his toes, he breathed hard, but froze halfway down the alley. He was looking at a dead end, and for a second, his gaze flicked up.

There were dents in the walls above them, as well as deep claw marks, scarring the bricks. Shaking his head, he used one hand to rub his face. The kid was gone, and he’d gone up, _fast._ He could feel Venom’s discomfort and frustration, which caused his stomach to churn, and he grit his teeth.

“We’ll find them, dear. Trust me on that, we’ll find them.” Eddie went to lean against the wall, scanning the rooftop.

 _“_ **_... Eddie… They may be what is eating our food…_ ** _”_

He was quiet for a long time, before pushing off of the wall. “We may find out tonight. We’ll get something to eat, I swear on that. Even if we have to fight them.” Slowly, Eddie started out of the alley, glancing up again.

The child and his symbiote didn’t dare check to see if they were truly gone, for they knew that, no matter what, they were outmatched. Nervousness twisted in the boy’s stomach, causing him to shudder and twist faintly, but he was comforted by the symbiote tightening around his shoulders, the pressure akin to that of a weighted blanket. It calmed him down, and allowed him but a moment to collect his racing thoughts.

After a moment, he mumbled, “Do you think they’re gone?” It wasn’t a whispered word in his head or anything, but a feeling for him to check, and that was the permission he got. Slowly, he sat up, peering over the edge of the roof to see nothing. Allowing himself a breath of relief, he slumped against the short wall.

“ _Now we can go,_ ” came the familiar, hissing whisper from the back of his mind.

“In a minute, D. Let me just relax, then we can keep heading home. Thanks… Thanks for catching that, though. Good job,” he murmured his praise, biting the inside of his cheek.

He could feel the symbiote’s pride, he felt it pulse through him, a warm feeling that started in his stomach and simply travelled. “ _Of course, Ace. I must keep you safe._ ” The boy, Ace smiled and rolled his eyes. “ _Don’t argue that. I’ve kept you safe for this long, yeah?_ ”

“You have. Now, let’s get down from here.” The boy started to stand, stretching out his painfully tensed muscles, allowing but a moment to uncoil and relax. “Ready, Davek?” he spoke to the symbiote, settling his foot on the roof’s edge, leaning forward but slightly. “Because… I need you… Now!” On his shout of _now_ , he pitched forward, off the roof, and he felt the symbiote quickly surround him.


	2. Dive

Ace was silent, staring out of his window. His phone was on the window sill, waiting, begging for a text from anyone. He had said he was open for talking to on Instagram, but his messages sat there, silent, stagnant. It wasn’t as though he expected someone to text him, but he knew what it was like to reach out into the darkness of the internet as a plea for help. The presence of Davek curled around his neck from beneath his skin, filling him with a dull warmth. Everything was tiring, and now it was as though his partner was attempting to coax him into sleep.

“... _Enough,_ Davek,” he murmured, hauling himself out of the window, and onto the fire escape. Grabbing his phone, he slipped it into his pocket. “... Come on, let’s just… Do what you want to tonight. At least we don’t have to fuck around with school tomorrow.” Bracing his hands against the railing, he took a deep breath. “... Up or down?”

The symbiote weighed the options, before murmuring, “ _Up._ ”

It was up they wanted, so up they got as Ace began to scale the rickety metal stairs, keeping light on his feet as he climbed up to the roof. Standing straighter, his eyes closed, a soft smile gracing his lips. It hurt only a bit, more of a discomfort rather than a pain, in all reality, as Davek surrounded him, their jaws closing around his head like a hood. Looking around, the evening air blew by the slightly leathery surface of the symbiote, catching the small frills that were present along their jaw, and causing the two, short tendrils that formed from the back of their head to shudder.

Ace could feel this all, despite feeling as though he was suspended in a thick, tar-like mass. He could see everything his partner could, he could hear everything they could, and he could feel the thoughts. Turning their head, a toothy smile spread across their face, and they started to the next building, quickly building up speed. They felt free, travelling fast, travelling easily.

They got to the pier fast, skidding to a stop and simply crouching at the end. Silently, they overlooked the water, watching as the backs of silver fish darted to and fro through the dark water. The sunset cast an orange glow across the whole of the scene, reflecting off of their dull, dark skin. Off in the distance, they could see a storm rolling across the water, and it sent a shiver through them as they gripped the edge of the pier. Their head angled downwards, and the thought that came up wasn’t just from one of them, but both, thrumming in their very being, pulsating and squirming and beating through their essence.

_Dive._

And so they did, pushing off the pier with strong legs, streamlining themselves at they hit the water, allowing the momentum from the jump to carry them through the water until they began to slow. Fish had scattered out of the way, frightened by the foreign creature who had entered their home, and those that were by the surface dove with them, now darting closer to the bottom.

Silently, they floated in the dark water, the frills pulsated, twitching occasionally as their tendrils, curled close, wrapping loosely under their jaw. The water was fairly cool, and they relaxed, allowing the tension they didn’t know they had to disappear, falling from them in waves. Any sounds around them were muffled, but it didn’t matter, as they were able to just chill.

Kicking off the water, they propelled themselves to the surface, peeking only just past their eyes over the water. Blinking slowly, their angled head turned towards the end of the small beach, to where a small group of men were, jeering as they shoved a small girl between them. Unknown to any of them, there was another figure watching them, dark, looming, _large._

They began to swim, cutting through the water, moving from side to side as though they were a crocodilian, their tendrils flat to their head. It was as though they disappeared into the water, and as they got closer, they sunk so they sat close to the bottom, close to the shore. They could hear the girl crying, yelling for them to stop.

Suddenly, there was a heavy thud, and a black blur sped across their vision, grabbing the man that was closest to them. For a second, they were startled, but the shock quickly shifted to rage, and they rose from the water, lunging at one of the further men, causing the remaining two to yelp, as though they’d just realized what was going on. They began to run, but whatever the black mass was, caught them. Davek clung to the still squirming man, claws digging into his cheeks and back of his head.

When they heard the screams of the men, before they were sharply cut off, their head whipped up, eyes narrowing. They could feel the skull of the man beginning to buckle and crack under their strength as the man cried, clearly fearful of the beast that held him. However, instead of continuing to play as though they were a cat with a mouse, they quickly crushed his skull, the scream of pain cutting off quickly.

“... And here I thought _we_ were brutal,” came a man’s voice from a little ways away. He only began to speak after the symbiote had swallowed their food, but still didn’t approach. “It seems we have nothing on _you._ ”

For a moment, they paused, before the symbiote began to retract, pulling themself back into their host, and leaving the child standing there, his hands in his pockets. Ace looked tired as he stared at the man, the voice slowly connecting as the one he’d heard in the alley.

“What’re you doing here, and who are you?” Ace inquired as he shuddered from the wind, scrunching up slightly.

There was a momentary pause, before the man responded with, “I’m Eddie.”

“ _Something’s off, Ace…”_ Davek hissed, practically squirming in discomfort, and it caused their host to squirm, digging his heels into the wet, red stained sand. He was glad that his partner could catch that, and that he wasn’t simply going insane. “ _Ask him about his_ _friend_ _._ ”

“So, who’s your friend?” It wasn’t Ace to ask this, but Eddie, his head tilting slightly as he stepped a bit closer. A wave of dizziness swept over Ace, and it felt as though something was twisting, pulling at his gut, and causing everything he had ate in the last few hours to force its way out of his body. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath.

“What do you mean? I really should be asking you the same,” he shot back, eyes narrowing a bit. “I mean, we didn’t bring mister big, black, and menacing to dinner, and there’s no one else around.”

Eddie seemed taken aback, almost surprised, before he replied simply with, “Venom.” Ace was silent, trying to decide whether or not to trust this guy, before nodding.

“... Davek.” On cue, the symbiote rose, curling around their host’s torso, uttering a raspy purr when Ace brushed his fingers across the underside of their chin. Their small frills rattled gently, another way they showed happiness, and Ace smiled softly.

“ **_They seem happy together, Eddie. Now if only we got along that well all the time,_ **” Venom rumbled in the reporter’s head, not risking showing themselves to the two in front of them. Eddie rolled his eyes a bit, not answering the symbiote.

“Would you two like to, uh…” he started, but trailed off, chewing his lip. Eddie was attempting, and failing, at finding a way to ask the pair if they wanted to perhaps head to his apartment to feasibly warm up.

“... _If you’re offering food and warmth, yes. Please,_ ” Davek cut in, looking to Ace, before hiding away once more. Ace seemed surprised, but slightly frustrated, looking over to Eddie.

“... Come on. Both of you need it,” Eddie heard himself say, not necessarily processing exactly what it was that he was offering. Turning away, he waved Ace along, feeling his feet carry him away from the scene that the four of them had left.

“ **_We’re surprised, Eddie,_ ** ” the symbiote murmured, “ **_This is something we never would have done before… Though, We suppose that… We could offer the option of feasibly keeping them?_ **” The hope that the symbiote carried in their tone was unmistakable, and it caused Eddie to chuckle softly.

“We aren’t keeping them, they aren’t like lost puppies,” came the reply from the man, and Ace tilted his head, but kept silent. He could figure out what Eddie was implying, but at the same time, he found it mildly impolite. It frustrated him, it actually frustrated _both_ of them, but neither would admit it.

“... So… You’re Eddie Brock?” the boy chirped, shoving his hands deep within his pockets. “I mean, I read your articles and stuff, and you seem to comment quite a bit on a lot of stuff around where I live, and you aren’t exactly… Rarely photographed.”

Eddie glanced back, then nodded. “Yeah. I am. What about it?” He tilted his head a bit, before looking back forward.

“You’re the last person I’d expect to have an alien clinging to them. The big motherfucker from the life foundation?” he hummed, head tilting, “I’d totally expect it from him. What was his name? Carson Drake?” It sounded like the boy was joking around, and it actually caused Eddie to laugh a bit.

“Carlton Drake, but uh… Yeah, you’d be totally right about that. A nasty piece of work named Riot.” For a moment, silence fell, before it seemed to connect with Davek as to what Eddie had said, and they squirmed in discomfort at the name.

“ _... So Riot was here?_ ” they whispered, sounding fairly nervous about that fact, tone uneasy. “ _Make sure that Riot’s gone, I don’t want to risk… Anything._ ”

Ace swallowed, his partner’s unease filling him with his own. He started to speak, but couldn’t quite get the words out, his mouth feeling like sandpaper whenever he opened it. The nervousness was clouding his mind, stifling the sounds and feelings around him and he couldn’t quite comprehend how he felt besides _worry_. He didn’t like the tone of Davek’s voice, and it caused his heart to twist, and nausea to wash over him in a heavy tidal wave, and it caused him to stumble a tad. He couldn’t regain his footing, and it felt as though the world was twisting and pitching around him.

The loss of the rhythm of his steps must’ve been noticed, because the last thing he felt was Eddie catching him. As the nausea became too unbearable, his vision darkened, and he could feel himself go limp, eyes closing, silent, yet so, so loud, screaming and wailing concern being his accompaniment in the stark blackness that surrounded his thoughts. For only a moment, he wondered if someone ever did reach out to speak to him, and how this would be a very unfortunate time for them to need help.


	3. Heart

Eddie quietly watched the boy who was on his couch, Venom lazily draped across his shoulders. The boy’s symbiote, Davek, was clearly concerned, nudging and pressing against their host’s face, before disappearing for a few minutes. The concern was vaguely amusing, yet it truly was surprising. The two worked in tandem on the beach, far smoother than what would be expected from a newer pairing.

“... How long have you two been together?” he heard himself ask, glancing to the symbiote. “You two just… Work well together, so I’m curious.” He shrugged a bit.

For a moment, Davek was silent, before replying, “ _The meteor in Russia. So, that was around… Five years ago?_ ” They reared themself up, posture something more akin to a snake’s. “ _I was lucky to have found him when I did. He was… Young, as am I._ ”

He was mildly taken aback by this, not expecting it to have been that long ago. He could’ve understood a year ago, but _five_? That’d explain a lot, but also set him back a while.

“Was there more?” He was curious, and he knew that pushing the symbiote for answers may not be the best idea, but it was his current one, and the most effective for now.

“ _I don’t think you need to know that,_ ” Davek hissed, frills fanning out as their tendrils flicked. “ _There may have been, there may not have. All that matters is that I’m here._ ”

Eddie bit down hard on his lip, silently looking over the symbiote as they turned to nudge against Ace’s cheek, eyes squinting shut. Clearly, they cared for the boy, and it made him smile, especially as he felt Venom rise from his skin, coiling up and around his arm, settling comfortably against their host’s shoulder. Davek turned to watch the two for a moment, silently scrutinizing them, before going back to cuddling close to Ace.

“Why’d he pass out? He… Seemed fine when we were talking, but when Riot was mentioned, he just… Dropped…” The concern ran thick through Eddie’s voice, despite the fact that they had never met until now.

Davek tilted their head, speculating whether to answer or not, before puffing up. “ _Well, we’re closer than you… He is more strongly affected by emotions we feel._ ”

Eddie nodded slightly, leaning back as he uttered a soft sigh. “... Right...” It did make sense, but it also made him slightly uncomfortable. He had enough issues with his emotions already, he didn’t need Venom fucking with them. Glancing to the symbiote that was relaxed against his arm, loosely coiled around it like a snake, he let out a breath. “... So… The longer you’re with your host…?”

“ _The tighter of a bond we have,_ ” they confirmed, nodding. “ _The more we feel of the other, the more intense those feelings are._ ” Tilting their head, they looked to Ace, then to the pair. “ _Why, are you concerned about Venom influencing you similarly to how we influence each other?_ ”

Eddie didn’t get the chance to answer as Ace stirred, groaning softly as his eyes opened. For a moment, he started to panic, throat tightening as he sat up quickly, but relaxed but a few moments later when he reached out and touched Davek. He brushed his fingers against his symbiote, relaxing slightly, before letting out a light breath. Slowly, silently, Ace looked around at the small, messy apartment, taking in everything that had simply been halfheartedly cleaned. When his gaze returned to Eddie, he frowned deeply.

“You live like this?” his question was sharp, sudden, and probably nothing that he should’ve asked, but it felt _needed._ “Seriously? This is how you live?”

He was so used to the cleanliness of his grandmother, which was a far cry from this. This was a miniature warzone, and it got worse and worse the more he looked at it. Books were dropped and left on the floor, wires were haphazardly spread across anything they could reach where electricity may have been needed, and it was _odd._

“I… Uh…” Eddie frowned, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “... Yeah? I guess?” He didn’t quite know how to answer, and he glanced at Venom.

“ **_You make the mess, Eddie… Do not blame anyone else…”_ ** the symbiote murmured, not even bothering to look up. The comment made Ace smile a bit as he dragged his nails against Davek’s chin, causing them to stretch out more, before slowly absorbing back into the boy’s body.

“Even though, uh… You should…” he trailed off, frowning as the boy started to stand, stretching slightly as he uttered a groan.

“... Get going? Yeah… My grandmother’s probably… Really, really worried.” He glanced at Eddie, who started to speak, but he shook his head. “We’ll be safe. Trust me…” he trailed off, then smiled. “Who knows, we may run into you two again, yeah?” He shrugged heading to the door.

Venom sat up slightly, watching them go, before looking to Eddie. “ **_... Davek could be dangerous,_ ** ” they rumbled, trailing after as Eddie stood, starting to the kitchen. “ **_They could cause damage to Ace._ **”

That wasn’t something he wanted to think of, but he nodded. “Yeah. I know… But they could also protect him. What, they said… Five years?” He glanced to Venom, who nodded slightly. “... If they’re separated, that could fuck up Ace… A lot.”

The symbiote was silent as Eddie bent down to rifle through the fridge, pushing leftovers and older foods to the side as he looked for anything. A million thoughts ran through his head, but only one stood out from every other one. Of course, that was the one that Venom picked up on and they frowned.

“ **_You noticed how they were not noticeable in the water, too?_ ** ” they inquired, head tilting as they pulled further away from their host as he stood. “ **_It was not even that they were dark…_ **”

“It was like they blended in with the bottom. Yeah, I know…” He leaned against the counter, sighing. “It’s… Really fucking concerning, honestly…”

“ **_If they were older… They may have been able to fight us._ ** ” The tone Venom used was grim, and it caused Eddie to feel sick. “ **_Davek is young. It is concerning that they work so well._ **”

“Can we not talk about this, babe?” Eddie stopped them there, giving them a look. “It’s a lot to think about, y’know? Ace is a sweet kid, I don’t wanna think about him being hurt by Davek.”

Venom silently stared, wanting to say something, but nodding. “ **_I understand. They seem to understand how to deal with each other… Far better than both of us._ **”

Eddie snorted softly, nodding. “Yeah, but I bet that comes with time…” He smiled softly, before shaking his head slightly. “Come on, I gotta rest. It’s getting late, and Anne wanted us to call tomorrow.” Pushing the fridge shut fully, he started to the bedroom. “She’s worried, can you believe that? She doesn't want me in trouble!” He snorted, shaking his head. “She seems to think that I’ll get into trouble again.”

Venom chuckled deeply, watching their host pull off his shirt. Something was lingering on their mind, though, as Eddie rambled away, about the fact that they never remembered hearing about any symbiote named Davek. It was certainly dread that they felt, but they pushed it aside for Eddie’s sake.


End file.
